More about Skin reconstructive surgery with excisions, flaps and grafts

During a skin reconstructive procedure, skin, fatty tissue and muscle are transferred along with the original blood supply from one area of the body (donor site) to the surgical site in order to reconstruct the area. The procedure can involve the use of microsurgery, and our practice is equipped with a surgical microscope. Very few skin cancer clinics in Australia have this type of equipment in their rooms.

While many early or precancerous lesions can be treated with topical or non-surgical treatments, more advanced skin cancers require surgical excision for treatment. It is particularly challenging when the skin lesions are on the face as scars are more easily visible and facial features can be impacted. Skin cancers on the face are often excised using the Mohs technique. This technique spares the most amount of normal skin around a cancer and has the lowest rate of recurrence; two factors that are vital for skin cancers involving the face. Once the cancer is removed, particular attention needs to be drawn to reconstructing the resulting defect to avoid compromising facial aesthetics or function.